Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008 - (Page 10)

the new cath labs at Marion General hospital were designed to have all wires and cables underneath the tables, including oxygen and suction. of cardiovascular care. Plans called for the new heart center to occupy half of the hospital’s first floor. “It allowed us to refine our resources to avoid having three or four redundant areas with underutilized space,” says Burke. Because services such as peripheral vascular care didn’t exist before the new construction at South Shore, the hospital issued an open invitation to all clinicians to work in the heart center. Rather than fight over resources, the physicians were interested in working together to build up the center and provide a comprehensive service, Burke says. Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ind., opened two cardiovascular suites last year, created out of old office space, says Melo-Dee Perez, administrative director of the cardiovascular service line. The hospital decided to create a totally digital facility completely networked with its electronic medical record system. Rather than sending patients to various areas of the hospital for blood work and other testing, the new space offers “one-stop shopping.” The staff of nurses and technologists are cross-trained so patients never have to leave the department. Cost and space considerations Once a facility decides on the building plan, it’s time to consider costs. Construction costs often are the most overlooked variable when setting up cath labs, according to James Easter, director of the healthcare planning department at HFR Architecture Engineering in Brentwood, Tenn. The total project budget is frequently inaccurately prepared because the owner mistakenly focuses solely on construction costs. Only about half of the total investment goes to getting the space operational, Easter says. Everything from the price of equipment, lighting and other fixed items to architectural fees go into the spreadsheet to help reach an accurate dollar assessment “If we don’t take it all the way to the bottom line, we’ve only got half the answer,” he says. Regardless of the specific clinicians working in the space, giving them plenty of room is essential. Generally, the spaces are too small, says Easter, a function of trying to keep the budget tight and save money. The decision about size should be made on the space available and the strategic plan for the future. It’s one thing to convert an old operating room or obstetrics room because the space is available. But how does that space fit the overall plan for future growth? Many hospitals are “landlocked” without much room for future growth. The American Institute of Architects guidelines call for a minimum of 400 square feet for procedure space. Easter says that once you add in a scrub area, circulation, equipment hold, prep space and technologist/student space, you’re back up to 1,200 to 1,500 square feet of departmental gross area for the cath suite. That larger space goes a long way in helping cath labs run smoothly, efficiently and comfortably, especially if teaching and research is involved. Easter recommends building expansion space into the plan. One way to maximize space is by creating an endovascular suite that can convert to an OR. “Lots of facilities are building sterile ORs that are cath lab-capable,” says Carolyn Weaver, executive vice president of John O. Goodman and Associates, a consulting firm in Las Vegas. This type of configuration can reach $2 million in construction and set-up costs but it can be used all day long because of its multifunctionality. Today, much of the equipment in a cath lab is ceiling mounted. When retrofitting older spaces, the equipment buying team has to consider if the space has the proper floor-to-ceiling height, as well as enough space for lighting, ductwork and wiring. If the wiring doesn’t fit in the floor or ceiling, an artificial set-up along the sidewalls will be necessary. 10 Cardiovascular Business July/August 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008

Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008 Table of Contents First Word Cover Story: Planning for the Ideal Cath Lab Requires the Multidisciplinary Approach Clinical Study Digest: Cell Phone Technology Speeds Ecgs As Real-Time 3d Echo Matures, It Finds a Clinical Niche Ecg Image Management Brings Increased Productivity and Confidence Overcoming Barriers to Cath Lab Inventory Control Maximizing Reimbursement, Minimizing Penalties News & Views Calendar Reader Resources The Back Page

Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008

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